


What the music of life sounds like

by thisisfaycountri



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-14
Updated: 2020-07-14
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:35:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,766
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25256287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thisisfaycountri/pseuds/thisisfaycountri
Summary: Harry Potter had always known that something was off. He learns sixth year exactly why he felt that way. (AKA a Harry is actually a Malfoy story with Marcus/Harry and Good!Tom)
Relationships: Marcus Flint/Harry Potter
Comments: 18
Kudos: 287





	1. Chapter One

The first time I had found the room it had taken my breath away.

It wasn’t that I had stumbled across it, of course. It wasn’t on the map, and no one that I should be talking to would know about it, so I was quite aware that Dumbledore didn’t know that I knew it was there. But one of my sneaky friends had mentioned once, casually, where they practiced the piano so that their father didn’t get angry at them for dropping the habit while at school. I had been immediately intrigued, but I had ignored the urge to find it for months.

That first time though, it really hit me. I knew that they had said it was massive, of course, but to have a room this large, and this acoustic, and this full of instruments… 

I had spent hours wandering around. I noticed quickly that a lot of the instruments seemed abandoned, and out of tune. Something I could fix easily. There were normal instruments, and then other instruments that I had no idea what the names even were.

I had made a habit of spending as much time as possible in the room. Between escaping from Ron and Hermione and avoiding Dumbledore, it was a lot of time. There were shelves upon shelves of sheet music, and with my knack for learning instruments, I was switching between one and the other seamlessly, from Piano to flute to violin to bass to saxophone and so on. I loved it, and I would spend whole nights lost in the music. No one knew I was there, and I was in my own little heaven. I avoided detention because of it, and though I heard about how bad Umbridge could be I hadn’t actually had a single detention with her. Mostly because I kept my head down and agreed with her on everything when she asked, which I could tell upset her but I wasn’t too worried about it. Dumbledore had been furious when I agreed with her that Voldemort wasn’t back and Dumbledore was just using my name to support his wild ideas, but well….

It was kind of true.

The man that I had seen in the graveyard hadn’t been Voldemort. Something had gone wrong with the potion that wormtail made. There was a lot of screaming, a lot of crying, and when all was said and done there was a dead wormtail and a shivering mess of a man begging me for help.

The potion that he had made had ‘put him back together’ as he said. He wouldn’t elaborate on how, but he said it flushed his system of all the potions that Dumbledore had been giving him. And when I had started to defend the old man, he had forced me to drink some of the potions as well. My rose-tinted goggles had risen and I was as furious as the man, Tom, was. We had discussed briefly what we were going to do, which wasn’t much on my end besides fulfill my talents ‘in all ways’ as he put it. 

I thought of that conversation often the next year or so that I was in school, between Umbridge and Dumbledore. He had begun insisting that I take lessons on Occulmency with Snape, and I was furious. Which was why I was in the music room in the dungeons now, much earlier than I normally was and taking my anger out on a particularly challenging Flute piece.

“Potter!” my name startles me so badly I nearly drop the flute, which would have been awful because it was made of gold and very malleable. I whirl to face the man who had said my name to see the very professor that had me frustrated in the first place- Snape.

“Yes, Sir?” I ask as calmly as possible, reminding myself that just because this place wasn’t known to many students doesn’t mean that it wasn’t open to all students.

“What are you doing here?” he asks. His tone is snappy, but I’m surprised to find that he’s more impatient and less annoyed.

“Uh, practicing the flute. Sir. I was going to play a bit on the Piano as well before I left.” I admit, deciding that honesty is the best policy here. His eyes narrow, as if he’s trying to believe me, and I squirm a bit before his eyes flick around.

It wasn’t that I hated Snape. I respected him, and I knew that whatever his role in the war is, he’s got it rough. I also know that Tom said not to trust him until he had talked to him, and as of yet, I had never seen a letter from Tom saying he had spoken to the man. Yet another reason I was nervous about the occulmency classes, but for the most part I was just nervous around the man in general- he was stern and snappy and terrified me, but I never hated him.

“You come in here often?” he asks, breaking my thoughts.

“Yes. Sir.” I add on hastily. 

“Very well. Since I’ve seen you today, I will inform you that our first lesson will be after Dinner, tomorrow,” he tells me simply, before turning and walking away. I was a little stunned at his sudden dismissal, but I lift the flute again and close my eyes so I could see the sheet music in my mind’s eye. I pick up where I had stopped smoothly, concentrating on my circular breathing as I move with the tune slightly.

Eventually, I give up on that and move to the piano, brushing a few scales out before I settled into a sonata easily. 

It was nearing evening meal before I leave the room, moving swiftly to avoid Slytherin territory being too full with my invisibility cloak.

The next day I came down early because I didn’t have classes until after lunch. I was left alone to tinker with the Trumpet and the Drumset that I had settled on for the day until my potions class came around and I was forced to focus on something other than music. I hadn’t ever wanted to do anything  _ but  _ make music, ever since I had first picked up my first instrument, but that had never been a realistic dream of mine. From my relatives to the expectations put on me from the wizarding world, disappearing nad making music was out of the question. 

“You’re going to be late for dinner.”

I drop the drumsticks I was fiddling with and whirl on the pivoting seat. Snape was there, hovering in the doorway.

“Right. Sorry. Lost track of time. I’ll be right there, and I won’t be late for our lesson.” I assure him. He nods once and disappears, and I rush to make it down in time to eat, ignoring Hermione and Ron and then rush back down to Snape’s classroom. He’s already there, sitting behind his desk and staring rather pensively at a vial on his desk.

“Come in and close the door, please,” he says without looking up. I do as he asks with some trepidation and when the door closes he looks up.

“I want you to trust me for the next few minutes.”

“Of course sir.” I agree immediately. Because I did trust him. Tom didn’t, not completely, but I did.

“I appreciate your prompt answer,” he says wearily. He pours the potion into a bowl and my head starts turning over all the possibilities. Between the color, the method he was obviously going to be using it in, and the amount, I was a little startled.

“Here, sir.” I murmur as I split a cut into the fleshy part of my arm, holding it over the bowl before he can ask.

“How did you-”

“I enjoy potions, I just can’t get good grades when people are throwing things in my cauldron. I’ve learned the spell to deflect things but they just started hexing me when you weren’t looking.” I tell him, not expecting him to belive me in the slightest but knowing he wouldn’t like it if I lied, and then he found the truth out through someone else later.

“I see.” was all he says as I close the cut on my arm when the required amount of blood is in the potion. He stirs it with a metal stick four times before pouring it all onto a piece of paper. I watch curiously as he studies it quickly as the words form, snatching it up and out of my view before I can read it myself.

But the name at the top wasn’t mine. It had started with an A, not an H.

Snape was pale, so pale that I was afraid he was going to faint. The paper was crinkling underneath his grip and I was half tempted to yank it away from him.

Finally, finally, he clears his throat and looks at me again.

“Are you aware of the… traits that can be passed on in blood?”

“Sure. potions masteries, quidditch skills, charms, transfiguration, defense, music, art, languages… they can be passed through the blood if the parent is overly efficient in them. “

“Correct. Neither Lily or James Potter was efficient enough in Defense, or Music, to explain your… aptitude.”

“So what, they aren’t my parents?” I ask in surprise. He nods once and I fall back into the chair I had ignored before.

“Huh.”

“You don’t sound overly surprised,” he says with caution.

“I’m not.” I agree with a shrug.

“What?”

“I’m a carbon copy of James, but I have my mother’s eyes. I look exactly the way you would need me to to absolutely hate me, along with a dozen others who my father tortured and or tormented while he was in school and even after. Remus and Sirius bend to my every will because of it, people crowd and rush me because of it. I figured my second year someone had a glamour on me that made me look this way, and that led to the why of such glamour and I came up with I either had too much black blood in me from my grandmother that I would have looked too pureblood, or…”

“Or you weren’t actually a Potter child.”

“And I feel… stuck. Like my clothes are always too tight, and I’m always walking or running down the stairs and miss a step, but everywhere, even in the halls. Like my stride is shorter than it should be. Like my arms are shorter than they actually are. It’s…”

“I understand. Incredibly off balance.”

“Right. So I figured my body is actually taller, and wider because I feel like I’m smaller than I should be.that and I always look sickly thin but I eat healthily and I’m very active. It’s like someone is keeping me looking like I should if my aunt and uncle- or rather, the muggles I lived with, since they aren’t my parents- had continued to starve me during the summer. But I haven’t lived with them since I was 11 so I’ve fixed most of the damage done.” I wave dismissively at his startled sound and continue on.

“So, who am I then?”

“IF I tell you, there’s no going back. You’ll have to announce yourself, and meet them, and DUmbledore is going to be in serious trouble.”

“I would hope so,” I say bluntly, making him blink.

“Right. Well. here then.”

_ Atticus Severus Malfoy _

_ Born August 1, 1996, 1:05 AM _

_ Heir Prince _

_ Father: Lucius Abraxas Malfoy (Lord Malfoy) _

_ Mother: Narcissa Lyra Malfoy (Lady Malfoy) _

_ Godfather: Severus Tobias Snape (Lord Prince) (Blood adopted, August 8, 1996) _

_ GodMother: Bellatrix Libra Lestrange (Lady Lestrange) (Blood adopted, August 8, 1996) _

_ Inheritance: Creature (possible, in Alphabetical order: Naga, Veela) _

_ Abilities, in alphabetical order: crafting (Godmother, blood adoption), Defense (Godfather, blood adoption) , Music (Mother), Parseltongue (Unkown, unfinished magical adoption), Runes (Father)  _

_ Current potential: Gold. _

Current potential? I glance up at Snape, who looks worried.

“You made me your heir?”

“I have no plans on having children, the idea of… procreating repulses me. When Narcissa and Lucius had a second child they suggested I name them my heir.” he explains in a hushed voice.

“What does current potential mean?”

“It means how powerful you’re going to be when you reach 17.”

“And what’s the scale for it?”

“I’ll find a book explaining it to you. Right now, I need to know if you want me to tell your parents or if you want to do it yourself.”

“I feel like you should give this to them, and tell them who I am after. Christmas break starts next week…”

“You’re suggesting you want to stay with them?” he says in surprise. I shrug one shoulder.

“It’s either that, stay here and be… hounded, by the Gryffindors, or go home. That last one isn’t an option as Dumbledore still thinks I’m going to the muggles and I’m not. And I’d rather not stay here.”

“You speak like you’re not also a Gryffindor.” he says a little dryly. I give him a sheepish grin.

“The hat wanted me in Slytherin. Harry Potter, in the house of snakes? Dumbledore would have had me killed by my second year. I begged to be put in Gryffindor to keep the image up that he wanted. If I’m not truly Harry Potter though…” I trail off at his amused look.

“We have… extremely underestimated you.”

“I would hope so, that was the point,” I say wearily. He nods once.

“I will speak to your parents tonight. After our lesson.”

I tense at that and he gives me a narrowed eyed look.

“Is that a problem?”

“I just don’t like the idea of someone digging in my head. I’ve read up on occlumency over the summer, but I don’t know how well I would do.” I explain.

“You’ve read up on it? Well, that’s more than I thought you would have done with the short time you had to prepare.”

“As I said, I read about it before I knew that we were going to be doing lessons.”


	2. Chapter Two(Snape)

I stride out of the floo with a purpose, the paper I’d been thinking about continuously the past two hours clutched in my hand. 

Merlin, how was I supposed to tell them? Their son, practically my son, and we’d been so horrible to him just on the off chance our Lord came back. Because he’d tried to attack the child. A child and we were so…

But no, it wasn’t we, was it? Narcissa had never been introduced, and though Lucius had interacted with the child it was while he had been influenced by someone else, Dumbledore. He’d tried to kill the child for the gods sake! But for me, I had no potion, no excuse. And he’d been right. I’d acted that way solely because he looked like James, because he reminded me of a bully and I hadn’t looked past that to the incredibly sharp mind that I’d witnessed. Never before had I had someone throw me out so effectively by the end of one lesson. 

“Severus, what are you doing here?” Lucius’ voice down the hallway has me stopping and pivoting. I’d been headed to his study, but it seems they’d already settled in the den for the evening.

“I have some terrible, wonderful news.” I tell him curtly, marching past him into the room where Narcissa stood from her chair, a worried look on her face. She’d already changed into a nightgown with a robe, obviously getting ready to head to bed, but they knew that I didn’t mind. I’d seen them both dressed in less and in worse of a state.

“Severus?” she asks worriedly, and I take a deep breath.

“I’ve found Atticus.”

There’s a stunned silence until I hear Lucius stumbling for his chair. Narcissa’s hand is at her throat, a wide-eyed look on her ashen face.

“H-he’s at the school?” She asks, her voice a few octaves higher than normal. I guide her to sit next to her husband and hand her the paper, since she seemed the most coherent.  
“I stumbled across a student in their fifth year in the music room. He was flawlessly playing a piece on the flute without looking at the sheet music for it. I listened for nearly five minutes. He was perfect. I knew that there was only one person I’d ever heard play like that, and never that young.” I give her a pointed look as she reads, the hand having moved from her neck to her mouth as she covered her shock.

“I had my suspicions, due to him also having an unnatural ability in another area that I had noticed previously. I tracked him down again this afternoon and found him playing the drums. He also confessed to being able to play the piano. He came to my office at my request and we did the parentage potion.”

“Oh, Lucius, look at the potential marker!” She murmurs, interrupting me. Lucius was recovered, somewhat, and leaning over her shoulder reading.

“Wait, you said a fifth year?” Narcissa asks, sharp eyes narrowing on me. I nod once.

“They seem to have… bumped him a year.”

“They? And how did he take it? Did you tell him?” 

“I told him, he wasn’t surprised. He had his own suspicions but no place to brew the potion. He took it well enough, even mentioned that he wouldn’t mind spending the holidays with you to get to know you.”

That seems to break her, and she begins to sob as Lucius comforts her. I wait patiently for them both to calm down.

“Who is it?” Lucius asks, but he looks… resigned, and I can tell he has his suspicions.

“Harry Potter.”

“Potter? The Potters stole our child!?” Narcissa exclaims. 

“It would seem so. Or perhaps someone else did and just told them it was an orphan child. He’s under extensive glamours, but he’s more than willing to get rid of them. He’s also confessed to figuring you’d want to pin this on Dumbledore.” 

“Damn right we are! No one but him would have done this. When we have the goblins remove his glamour we’ll have them record who did it. Masking someone like that is… is... Severus! You can claim line theft!” he says furiously.

He was right, of course. Harry was my heir, and that meant that he should have been under my influence from day one, like he was supposed to have been. A Malfoy, still, but I would have had a say in most of his life as his godfather anyway. 

“I plan to. I told him I would tell you all regardless of what he wanted to do and he was adamant that I do so. He does want reassurance he is welcome here over winter break though.” I give them a pointed look and Narcissa springs to her feet.

“I’ll write a letter! Will you deliver it, Severus Dear?” she asks, already bustling to the desk that she often claimed.

“He wasn’t… upset?” Lucius asks.

“He’s very forgiving, Lucius. Perhaps, though, you should write a letter to Draco to let him know? As far as I’m aware the boys don’t get along.” I suggest.

“Of course. Will you deliver that as well?” he asks, waiting for my nod before standing and heading to his own desk. They both write furiously for a few minutes, Lucius finishing first. I pocket the short letter and wait for Narcissa patiently. She pauses after signing it before murmuring a spell that had me grinning. She often used to do it when she sent letters to Draco- it infused her magic in the letter, and when you open it, it feels a bit like getting a hug. If you’re used to the magic, you’ll know it’s like hugging your mother, sister, niece, etc.

“I’ll make sure they both get these.” I assure them as I turn to leave.

“Severus,” Narcissa begins, touching my arm. When I give her my attention she grins.

“Thank you, so much. You’re already family, but we will never be able to pay you back for this one.” she murmurs.

I should have known.

I had dropped Draco’s letter off on his nightstand, as he’d already been sleeping. As he should have been, it was well past midnight. I make it all the way to the seventh floor before I get the idea that Harry- Atticus- might not be where he was supposed to be. He had a bad habit of being out after curfew. So I murmur a point me and sure enough, I’m spinning and headed away from the dorms. I watch in growing amusement as it points me back down into the dungeons, and I realize halfway there that I was probably going to be going to the music room.

Sure enough, he’s there, a violin tucked under his chin and his eyes closed as he moves quickly, the succinct notes of the quick, impressive piece. 

“Can I help you professor?” he asks as he abruptly turns and drops the violin to his side. He has a small, amused smile on his face and I’m not sure why.

“I have a letter from your mother. I was going to have you meet me at the Gryffindor common room but…” I make a motion here and he nods.

“Yes, I know. It’s after curfew. Are you taking points?” he asks curiously. 

“No. But will you follow me?” I ask, making a motion to the door. He nods and goes to start putting the violin in a case.

“How did they take it?” he asks softly, not looking up from what he was doing. He was obviously nervous and I quirk a smile because I knew he wasn’t looking.

“They were shocked. Your mother cried. They can’t wait to see you. Also, a warning to you so you don’t get too much of a shock, your mother used a spell on the letter that most mothers use. It puts their magic in the letter and can feel a bit like a hug when you open it.” I tell him as he snaps the case closed. He turns and gives me a curious look before nodding once.

“You’ll have to teach me the spell.”

I don’t ask him why, though I want to, and I motion for him to follow me again. He is silent as we leave the room and turn down the hallway, though he makes an odd noise as we pass the Slytherin opening.

“I should also warn you that your father told Draco. He was afraid with how… antagonistic you two was that he needed to hear it from them before you came to them for Christmas break.”

“Oh? Well. That’s another thing I never considered, we don’t have to hide the fact we’re friends anymore.” he muses, making me stop and turn to him with a sharp look. He raises his hands in an ‘i’m innocent’ gesture.

“What? I’ve liked Draco since before school started. We met in Madam Malkins. We agreed since I was supposed to be Gryffindor golden boy, and he was supposed to be Slytherin ice king, us being at each other’s throats made more sense than us being friends. For the record, Draco, Theo, Blaise, Marcus and Adrian are great blokes. We hang out as much as possible.” he says, getting defensive at the end.

“I’m just shocked. You have us all convinced that you and Draco hate each other.”

“No. He’s the closest I’d ever consider someone to be, much like, well, a brother actually. More so than the Weasley’s at any rate.” he sneers the name and I’m startled to the point of gaping at him.

“You don’t like the Weasleys?”

“I don’t like certain ones. Bill and Charlie are fine. Percy is great as long as you don’t mention the Minister. The twins are a riot. Other than that anyone in that family are too far up Dumbledore’s- well. Let’s just say they don’t see anything they don’t want to see.” 

He’s scowling at the ground now, so I don’t push for more answers and instead lead him to the only door in the hallway.

“These are my quarters. There’s no password, but hold your hand out a moment.” I explain patiently. He does so and I fuse his magic into my wards, before popping the door open for him. I motion him in behind me and when he steps in he looks around, mildly curious. 

“This is the living area. The door to your left there is to my office, the hallway down there has the bedrooms. There’s three. Mine is on the left, and there’s two on the right with a shared restroom. The first bedroom on the right is yours. If you’re going to be spending all odd hours in the music room, I only ask that you use the room so you’re not going up to the seventh floor.” I explain why he’s here and his face lights up in surprise.

“Oh, thank you. I didn’t…” he trails off, surprise still his main look as he glances around more closely.

“You are, for all intents and purposes, my son as much as you are theirs. I hope that you spend much of your free time here, getting to know me as much as I want to get to know you. And here, you and your… Slytherin counterparts can meet in peace.” I explain, dangling the incentive in front of him, hoping he takes me up on the offer.

“I appreciate that, I do, and I’ll probably take you up on it, but you don’t have to bribe me. I told you, I want to get to know you all and you’re obviously important to my family on top of making me your heir,” he explains with a small smile. I return it, before motioning to the kitchen.

“Would you like a cup before bed?”

“Please.” he agrees, glancing down the hallway as we pass. I pause and turn him around.

“Go, look at your room. Change the colors if you want. I’ll give you a call when the tea is done.” I tell him, getting a beaming smile before he disappears into the room.


	3. Chapter Three

“Good morning.” I murmur as I stumble into the kitchen area of Severus’ quarters. He looks startled to see me.

“You’re awake early.”

“I’m always awake this time. And if I know Draco he’ll be down here soon.” I admit. He makes an annoyed sound but doesn’t argue with me, setting the plate he had been piling eggs on in front of me. I begin to eat at his pointed look and I’m about halfway through with it when the door to Severus’ rooms blow open and Draco and Theo are there, barely dressed in a casual day dress and casting sweeping looks in the room.

“Morning.” I say dryly, and Draco’s eyes snap to me.

“Is it true?” he demands, waving a letter that I track with my eyes in the air.

“Yes.” he relaxes his defensive stance and slumps on the couch as Theo pats his shoulder sympathetically.

“I told you not to work yourself up.” he says lowly and I snort as he calms his best friend down.

“Do you need a calming draught?” Severus asks without looking up from his cooking.

“No, I’m good. Just….” 

“I know.” I agree with him. He sits up straighter, a small grin on his face.

“Jeez, I can claim you as my brother now and no one can call me out on it!”

“True.”

“You’re taking the glamour off right?”

“I planned on it once it’s announced who I actually am.”

“Are you going to be asked to be resorted?”

“Depends on if Dumbledore will still be here or not.” I grumble as I swipe my plates into the sink and set them cleaning.

“He won’t be.” Severus says firmly.

“You don’t know that.”

“I do. Our priority is going to be getting you out of the castle, but as soon as you are I’m going to be suing for line theft. I wrote my lawyer this morning.” he says, crossing his arm and glaring at his food as he spoke.

“Oh. I didn’t know you were going to be doing that.”

“Once we remove the glamour we will know who put it on you and since it was him, we will be able to blame him for them.”

“Good. Then yes, I will ask for a resorting.”

“Well I know someone who will be happy about that.” he says with a snort, making me shoot him a scowl. When I focus on Severus again he has an eyebrow raised.

“Draco believes that Adrian has a crush on me.”

“Not believes, I am very aware that he’s head over heels with you.” he sing songs, making me groan.

“Even if he is, I’m not interested.”

“Adrian Pucey?”

“Yes.” I answer Severus dutifully. He hums in thought as he takes his food off the heat and begins to plate up. 

“How are you going to get through classes this week?” Draco whines, and I laugh at the change of subject.

“The same way I have been for the past five years Draco.”

“I don’t want to hear that! You’ve barely survived the past five years!” he exclaims, making me shake my head at him.

“I’ll be as safe as I can be, and I’ll spend as much time as possible in the music room.”

“And staying here at night?” He demands. I glance at Snape wearily and he gives me a small smile.

“You’ll hear no complaints from me.” he assures me.

  
  
  


“Mr. Potter, I’m going to have to tell your guardian.” Pomfrey’s tone of voice is scolding and I want to scream at her.

“As you’re under oath, I’ll tell you that that’s changed recently.” I tell her as evenly as possible.

“Oh! Well, I’m glad to hear that. But I still have to tell them.” She explains. I groan and rub at my face for a moment.

“I’m not sure who has it at the moment. It’s either my father or my godfather. It’ll be explained after break.” I wave off her startled sound and her eyes narrow.

“If this is you trying to get out of this, I must say-”

“I’ll swear an oath, if I have to. I will notify someone who is either my guardian or someone who could be my guardian by the end of the day.” I promise her. She eyes me a moment longer before she nods.

“I don’t need an oath, I trust you to be responsible. Now. off to bed, get some rest.” She waves me off and I slide off the bed, quickly leaving the hospital wing.

I’d just wanted a stomach soother. I thought it had been stress, that I’ve been nauseated because of the sudden onslaught of letters from my mother and father and Draco draping all over me. 

She had figured out differently.

“I thought we were studying? Or are you avoiding me again?” the tired voice behind me has me whirling, bug-eyed.

“No, actually, I was looking for you.”

“You don’t have your bag.”

“We need to talk.” 

His face falls and I rush to his side, clutching his arm.

“Don’t! I said yes, didn’t I?”

“But you put a stipulation on it,” he says, pouting. I roll my eyes and drag the pouting man to the nearest classroom and push him inside. I throw up several silencers.

“I thought you said talk?” he says suggestively, and I throw my hands up to ward him off and he frowns again.

“You still want to get married, right?” he asks worriedly. I relax immediately and step towards him, falling against his chest with a sigh as he envelopes me in the hug I’ve needed all day.

“Of course I do.”

“Just not until the war is over,” he grumbles. I laugh a little hysterically.

“My father will have your head if we wait until then.” I disagree softly. He makes a confused noise and I look up to study his face. He wasn’t handsome by most people’s standards, but from day one at this school, he had caught and held my attention.

My 2nd year he had dragged me into a classroom. I thought he was going to kill me. Instead he gruffly told me that he wanted to see something, did a ritual, and then disappeared again when the blinding white light went through the room.

It had taken nearly a year of research on my end to realize he’d done the soul searching ritual- and it was white, so the soulmate had been in the room. Which meant it was us. We were meant to be together. After that argument, of him defending himself that he didn’t think I would want him and me screaming at him that he was an idiot, we had fallen into an easy relationship. He had insisted on keeping it quiet, not wanting me a target. Last year we had agreed we would get married one day, and this year, just a few weeks ago, he’d proposed as we had cuddled in bed and I had been deliriously happy since then.

But we were leaving for Christmas break tomorrow, so I had to tell him and Severus now.

“Love?” his brown eyes were concerned.

“We made a mistake, somewhere.”

“What do you mean? Did I hurt you?” he asks immediately. He had known I was going to see Pomfrey, So I wasn’t surprised.

“No, no. I’ve been getting sick during or after dinner for about a week now.”

“I’ve noticed. I just figured you were too stressed.” he rubs at my back as I nearly shake in his grip and it soothes me in a way even his words couldn’t.

“Harry, please.”

“Fuck, Marcus… I’m pregnant.” I’m speaking into his chest and I’m not sure he’d heard me, until his fingers are gripping my chin and my head was lifted and it’s my turn to be studied so intently.

“When are you due?” He asks softly.

“I uh… Didn’t ask. My head was spinning a bit.” I admit.

“How far along are you?”

“3 weeks.”

“A  _ baby _ . “ his voice cracks and he pulls me into a bone-crushing hug and I melt in relief. 

“You know what this means though.” I murmur into the silence.

“I have to meet your parents. And your Lord. and marry you before you’re due. And we’ll have to announce ourselves.” He murmurs into my hair.

“I’m glad you have it all figured out.” I answer. He chuckles a little weakly and then leans back to gaze at me a little starstruck.

“Merlin, when do you think you’ll start showing? I can’t wait. Oh! Is she sure it’s only one baby?”

“What?” I ask with a squeak.

“Well the Flints are known for producing multiple births.” he says reasonably, and I groan.

  
  
  


“So you’re going to tell him.”

“Yes.”

“And if he’s amendable I’ll be let in?” he asks hopefully. Snape had insisted, along with Draco, that I needed to stay in his rooms. Usually one of us snuck into the other rooms, so I wasn’t surprised he was asking.

“I’ll see.” I agree, disentangling myself from him and watching him walk away before I step into Severus rooms.

“Where did you go?” he demands immediately, not moving from where he had paused mid-pace through the living room.

“Huh?”

“Poppy said you were in the hospital wing as I dropped off some potions. I expected you to come here immediately and you didn’t,” he explains, calmer. I grimace.

“Sit and have some tea? I have some explaining to do.” I tell him. His eyes narrow and he moves to the sofa, where he points for me to sit next to him. We make our tea in silence before he looks at me with a pointed look.

“Right, okay. So. When I first showed up I noticed that a kid had caught my attention. In my second year, he drags me into a classroom and does the soul searching ritual. It came back white. It takes me about a year for me to figure out what happened. When I did I was furious. I dragged him into a classroom and screamed myself hoarse at him for not telling me immediately. By then I was 13. We argued for ages but finally agreed to see each other discreetly, on his insistence, though I agreed. Last year we discussed getting married and I said only after the war was over. He proposed the day after Halloween.” I pause to take a drink and to gauge how he was taking the new so far. Thankfully, he looks amused though I know now that that isn’t going to last.

“Now, the hard part.” I mutter to myself, and he straightens up.

“I started getting sick.” I say leadingly. His face whitens and I know he knows what I mean, but I continue anyway, not looking directly at him.

“It was only during the evening meal but it was enough to make me actually throw up, so tonight I went and saw Poppy.”

“How far along are you?” he asks immediately.

“She said around 3 weeks.”

“You’re 16.” this is murmured softly like I’m not supposed to hear it, but I do anyway.

“I know. I don’t know what went wrong. I’ve been taking the contraceptive potion since I was 14, just as a precaution, and he hasn’t once forgotten to use the charm on himself.” 

Severus seems surprised by that, and to my shock, he gives me a small smile.

“Well. that makes more sense. It seems you’ve been blessed. There’s a test healers can do to prove so. But if you were. It doesn’t matter your age or gender or anything. Whoever blessed you approved of your union and gave it it’s blessing. My money would be on Mother Magic, just because you’re so spectacular at it.” he informs me. I relax at that, and even give off a little laugh itself.

“Right, okay, I can ask Poppy tomorrow. I left pretty quickly today. I was in a bit of a shock, she was threatening to call Dumbledore thinking he was still my guardian.

“He kind of still is until you get the glamour removed and reclaimed by the Malfoy’s.”

“I know that. She doesn’t. I told her I wasn’t sure who was my guardian at the moment but someone who knew the answer would be informed by the end of the day. I’ll admit that I stopped and informed the father first though, but only because he saw me in the hallway and stopped me to talk to me.” I assure him at his sharp look.

“Don’t think I haven’t noticed that you haven’t told me who it was.” he says mildly. I shrug one shoulder and he sighs.

“At your reluctance, I’m going to assume it’s a Hufflepuff? Or perhaps one of the older Gryffindors?”

“Uh, no. It’s one of your Slytherins.” I admit. His eyebrow raises sharply.

“Adrian?”

“Gods no. Marcus Flint.”

He looks shocked, and I’m surprised when his cup falls from his fingers and to the floor. He starts cursing and cleans it up before focusing on me again.

“Flint? Marcus Flint.” he clarifies. When I nod he looks stumped.

“Will you tell mother and father?” I ask, hating how small my voice sounded.

“Only if you promise to wake up early and go to poppy and get the scan done before you leave. And an antinausea potion just in case you get sick on the train ride home.

“Thank you.” I murmur, relief evident. I bite my lip as I think about how best to approach the next question.

“I’ll do so now. Are you feeling well? Do you need me to call Draco to sit with you?” he asks as he stands, not seeing my dilemma.

“Can I call Marcus? I… need to see him.”

The sharp, narrow-eyed look I get is enough to make me still and go wide-eyed, thinking I was finally going to get yelled at.

“Fine. I’m assuming you’re going to want him to stay here for the night?”

“Only if you allow it.” I disagree immediately. He relaxes and ruffles at my hair, something he confessed he enjoyed doing and something Draco wouldn’t let him do anymore.

“Of course he can.”


End file.
